KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 22, 2024

HappyDoc, a business founded by Kennesaw State University alumnus Emerson Smith with support from the University’s Mookerji Innovation Fund, raised $2.2 million during a recent round of funding, positioning the company to increase its investment in technology and grow its staff.

Smith, who graduated in 2018 from the Michael J. Coles College of Business with degrees in finance and management, started HappyDoc in 2023. The company’s product is an artificial intelligence scribe designed specifically for veterinarians. It automates clerical work like capturing patient notes, retrieving medical histories, and managing documents.

The initial funding to launch HappyDoc came from the Coles College’s Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, which awarded Smith $30,000 of seed funding via its Mookerji Innovation Fund. Smith calls this seed money from KSU critical to the launch of his company.

“KSU was instrumental in my journey toward becoming an entrepreneur and a CEO," Smith said. "The mentorship, belief, and community offered by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center not only fostered my personal growth but also directly impacted HappyDoc's success. Their support made the tough early days a lot easier and set us up for the success we're enjoying now.”

Since launching the app in July 2023, the product has gained thousands of users, with veterinarians across the country relying on it to streamline their processes.

“I’ve gained an hour or two of my life back every day, allowing me to focus on what I love – caring for animals,” said Megan Garrison, a veterinarian and owner of a Pittsburgh, Pa. clinic in the PetVet 365 network. “It’s a game-changer for our industry and has truly revolutionized how we practice quality medicine with work-life balance in mind.”

The recent $2.2 million investment will allow Emerson to refine HappyDoc’s platform and hire more people for its engineering team.

Greg Quinet, executive director of KSU’s Robin and Doug Shore Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, said Smith’s success reaffirms the Center’s commitment to helping launch student and alumni businesses.

“Emerson is a prime example of successful business creation, achieved through the integration of entrepreneurial education, the Shore Center’s programming, and crucial seed funding from the Mookerji Innovation Fund,” Quinet said.

Established in 2020 thanks to a gift from entrepreneurs Sid and Sophie Mookerji, the Mookerji Innovation Fund awards startup capital to tech businesses run by Kennesaw State students and alumni. The fund is the first of its kind for Kennesaw State. It resembles a standard venture fund but does not give ownership stake to any of the supported companies to the University or the Mookerjis. The student and alumni entrepreneurs maintain full control.

In addition to HappyDoc, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center has awarded $400,000 in Mookerji Innovation Fund grants to 33 businesses, including a company that uses virtual reality to train students on refrigeration system operations, a new virtual reality eSport, and a business manufacturing hybrid tops for Jeep Wranglers. Another business is developing a high-tech imaging system for police cars that will be tested soon by a Metro Atlanta police department.

As HappyDoc prepares to begin its next level of expansion, Smith said he is eager to continue growing his company and offering a service to the veterinarian community, which is often overlooked by Silicon Valley tech firms.

“This round of funding is a big moment, confirming that our work really matters to veterinarians,” Smith said. “It’s a clear sign that others see the need for tools explicitly designed to support vets.”

-Patrick Harbin